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Brief Synopsis

Ralph Hartsook, a Yankee Civil War veteran, joins other veterans seeking land in Indiana promised as compensation; however, when the group arrives in Flat Creek, they are told that there is no land and that they will have to move on. Although the townspeople will allow the veterans to stay on the outskirts of town for only a few days, Ralph soon learns that Flat Creek needs a schoolmaster, and he is given the position. On the first day of school, Ralph is challenged by one of the adult students, Bud Larkin, and wins him over, thereby insuring that he will not face opposition from any of the others. Ralph rents a spare room in the home of Jake Means, whose daughter, Martha, is attracted to him and makes plans to win him over. Ralph, however, is interested in the Means's bound servant girl Hannah, until he is informed by Larkin that she is already committed to him. After discovering that the town's unrest has been caused by "nightriders" and the manipulation of land grants by crooked politicians, Ralph, at the request of the veterans squatting on the outskirts of Flat Creek, writes to the federal government accusing Means, Doc Small and Squire Hawkins of illegally obtaining the lands that should have been given to the veterans. When Means, Small and Hawkins learn of the government's investigation, they make plans to discredit Ralph. After Ralph deliberately loses a spelling bee to Hannah, who mistrusts him because she thinks that he is in love with Martha, he is fired. Ralph prepares to leave town and sets up camp in an old barn, but Means, Small and Hawkins plot to kill him in order to eliminate any threat to their lands. Hannah, who has come to realize that Ralph can be trusted, follows him to the barn and announces that she and her brother Shocky are running away from their servitude in the Means household. Ralph hides Hannah and Shocky from their pursuers, but the trio are discovered by a mob of townspeople who take them into custody and make plans to execute Ralph. After managing to escape, Shocky alerts the veterans who are still camping outside town, and in the subsequent battle, Larkin is killed. The veterans ultimately win the fight against the corrupt townspeople, and when the Adjunct General arrives from Indianapolis, he rules against Means, Small and Hawkins. Ralph regains his position as schoolmaster of Flat Creek and wins the love of Hannah.